Career: Art Directors
Northwestern University Library
Have you ever wondered who came up with the look for those great jeans ads or that cool CD jacket? Behind every advertisement, magazine cover, video, or website is a big-picture person: the art director.
If you’d rather call the shots than carry them out, art directing just might be your thing -- as long as you’re ready to be a fountain of new ideas.
Art directors come up with the visual concepts for everything from billboard advertisements to magazine layouts to videos and websites. Not all work in advertising; some create the look of editorial publications, such as newspapers.
“You get to see the fruits of your labor -- from a print ad that shows up in Sports Illustrated to a TV spot that airs during the Super Bowl.”
John, Brand Manager, Advertising
Are You Ready To...?
- Brainstorm ideas
- Tune into pop culture
- Manage a team
- Work under tight deadlines
- Deal with difficult clients
It Helps to Be...
A big-picture people person who thrives on the challenge of coming up with a continuous stream of fresh, new ideas. If you’re organized, creative, and bold enough to take risks, this could be the career for you.
Make High School Count
- Sign up for art class. It will help you develop an eye for color and design.
- Test the waters and build skills in electives like website design, graphic arts, commercial art, and photography. If these are unavailable at your school, check out a local two-year college.
- Develop strong writing and speaking skills in English and speech classes. Communicating ideas clearly is a must for art directors.
Did You Know?
- Management skills come in handy in art directing, where bringing your vision to life often means coordinating the hands-on work of graphic designers, photographers, and others.
Outlook
Government economists expect jobs for art directors to grow as fast as the average for all careers through 2014. However, art jobs always attract a lot of talented people, so expect heavy competition.
Compensation
Art directors earned an average yearly income of $78,420 in 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
